Gig Guide Archive

This will be preceded by a vinyl market running from 11am-4pm, with DJs from midday

Launch show for 30/70's third album

This is our first listing for Sydney Uni's Great Hall which makes me wonder why it's as underutilised for contemporary music as it is. There might be some good opportunity there! Wonder what the booking fee is? This is being put on by "entertainment discovery platform" Fever - it's sort of like SydneyMusic but they're shooting for global, it's for-profit and it looks like part of their business model is getting into the ticketing game. The gig itself (and the rest of their "Originals" series) is kind of a promotional initiative, with the selling point being that the artist plays amidst "thousands" of candles (putting that in quotes as that's from the press release) - you just know that's gonna look svelte on Instagram and TikTok. The show comes at a premium: an eye-watering $75 to sit up the front (you can be up the back for $45): it's quite a steep ask for a local act, but maybe that's making sure there's budget for the cleaners to get all of the melted candlewax sorted after bump out.

That's Hayley Mary (formerly of The Jezebels) doing her solo material. Unsure if these gigs are full band affairs or stripped back instrumentation,

Despite being extremely sold out, we thought it fitting to acknowledge this stacked line-up (look at it!) celebrating the life of Richard ‘Millzy’ Mills, one of the co-founders of label/party collective Psyched As. All profits from ticket sales will be donated to the Bula'Bula Arts Centre in Ramingining (NT).

Album launch for the incredible Potential, releasing their album after three excellent singles that have just got me more and more pumped for the full thing. Potential play (in their own words) "weirdo dark-pop synth-wave" - great songwriting, drum machines, harmonised sax, grinding chorus bass, it's a fucking treat. Loose Fit are an incredible support, also offering bursts of sax, intensive post-punk rhythms with little elements of dub all over it - their debut record was recorded and mixed by Jonathan Boulet of Party Dozen and ARSE. And at the greatest venue in Sydney - the PBC!

"Muscle Memory" EP launch.

A night of live music, art, a film screening, and talks put together by Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors. Free, but ticket registrations are recommended.

God I am VERY excited about this... "It Was Good Until It Wasn't" is an absolutely stunning record

Two jazz ensembles, with Anoesis launching their second album “Dancing Waters”

NOTE: “Due to an issue with the Good Space venue this gig is moving to a new venue. Bordello Bar on level 4 of Kings Cross Hotel is the new location.” — unsure what this means for other Good Space events just yet, we’ll let you know. This week's edition of 8 week live electronic music series Vitalise features all things Tracker/ChipTune/Gameboy/Breakcore. Earlycomers will get to be part of a Gameboy music making workshop, so if that sounds like your thing come down early and get bleeping! Under 18s welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Entry by donation. BYO. And is this a new DIY space?

DJ Masda is a selector originating from out of Japan, a key figure in party crew/label Cabaret as well as Energy Flash Distribution. More recently he's been based in Berlin. This party has been organised by Polka and Brighter Days, and runs all the way up to midday the following day.

First Aussie tour in 5 years! "Impressionistic folk music" in the warm, welcoming environs of the PBC

If the name doesn't ring a bell, google "Loop Daddy". Wildly charismatic, utterly ridiculous, and even inspirational, with improvised bangers for days.

Final ever show

Final ever show

You'll see Cockatoo Island on this guide every Saturday afternoon for the next few months - up through March.

A courtyard party at the Gladdy feature "dub, house, electro, jazz, hip hop, world beats and beyond " Hosted by Got Music Social Club and Off The Top Radio, coming together for the very first time.

Two acts straight from Wollongong to show you how they do it down south! Private Wives is a three-piece all-girl riotous punk act - you know the drill, the drum fill, the chanty-shouted vocals, the riffs... all of which get stuck in your head for days after. They do it with panache. Chimers we've written about many times on this guide - we love them, they're great, you need to see them. New single "Generator" dropping January 13! Go for it.

Lord have mercy! Here comes a psych/stoner hurricane featuring Jay Whalley (Frenzel Rhomb), his wife "Loz Sutch" as she is known (also: "the High Priestess") and a couple of their mates. They're doing two nights at the ripping small space that is MoshPit Bar (we love you guys dearly MoshPit, never change, stay weird forever)

Alongside their special Sunday afternoon/evening gigs, Vitalise - a collective headed up by Luke "LukeSnarl" Dearnley (of SubBassSnarl, Frigid) - are putting on a special Friday night gig, running up to 2am. The lineup covers a broad cross-section of electronic music, all live. And yes, this is once again at Good Space's latest location - an abandoned three-storey shopping centre opposite Broadway that's been refashioned into a temporary creative space.

Ex-Bad Seed/Wreckery figure Ed Clayton-Jones explores his catalogue of darkly disjointed songs of longing at semi-legendary St Peters' haunt the Town & Country with a band featuring, among others, former The Cruel Sea bassist Ken Gormly. Supported by Last Motel and Steve Broughton. Tickets $15, in what seems to be some sort of ironic, retro move, on the door only.

"Melbourne’s Music in Exile label, a not-for-profit aimed at profiling musicians from refugee and migrant backgrounds that give the city its world-class reputation in the arts, started the Building Bridges series, a collection of recordings aimed at keeping individuals connected and inspired during lockdown. One such project was a match made somewhere in musical heaven. The minds behind Ausecuma Beats, a nine-piece, Melbourne-based ensemble comprised of members from Senegal, Mali, Cuba and Guinea, spent weeks recording and sharing material remotely with the Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange, also known as Z*F*E*X." More info at the link.

Holy holy holy hell, the lads are back with a new EP.

Monthly electronic music night running at Knox St Bar in Chippendale that we’d previously not been aware of.

Gigs are back at the Agincourt!

A cool fusion of music and fashion. Blurb from event: "4 bands performing in original garments by 4 fashion designers - all the excitement of a live show, all the allure of a catwalk."

Two sets

Emerging artists showcase by Breaking Sound Sydney. More artists to be announced!

"Things That Cannot Be" EP launch

The official bio: "FAINT presents a fundraising live music and performance event for Black Rainbow (NT) an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander social enterprise in the pursuit of positive health and well-being for First Nations LGBQTIA+SB (Brotherboy & Sistergirl) communities." - this is a really exciting local lineup for a really worthy cause. Get amongst.

"The Old Rugged Cross", a one-night, two-legend tribute to country gospel.

Liking this trend of free gigs at Crowbar on Sundays!

Two sets

For all fans of emo & screamo. The last time I saw mowgli, I was moved. They really gave it their heart and soul.

That's Blackie of the Hard Ons and Nunchukka Superfly

Second week of a very exciting series of live electronic music. It's designed to be approachable to all, includes show 'n' tell and explanations of the myriad instruments and devices being used to make the sounds, and some weeks even lets punters get "hands on" with the equipment. Vitalise is a collective headed up by LukeSnarl (SubBassSnarl, Frigid) and this is a wonderful community-centric series. Kids welcome if accompanied by a guardian. Luke also informs us: "This week we are also having an electronic music gear BUY/SELL/SWAP MEET!! Trade a eurorack module! Buy a drum machine! Turn those un-used FX pedals into cash! Avoid scammers and postage - trade here in person! Meet your fellow music nerds! Form a band! All you need to do it turn up with your gear, and/or wallet."

Nothing quite like the chaotic energy of a 9pm Enmore Hotel show - two punk sets, about as no frills as it comes. Glorious.

Sounds Like Sunset formed in Pennant Hills in 1997. Famously, no matter how small the venue they're playing, they'll bring their full scale amp stacks and play at the volume they would if they were playing a gig at the SCG. I'm saying they're loud. Their sound draws a lot from the original wave of the UK's shoegaze influences - think Lush, Ride - but there's definitely an Australiana to it, so I'm gonna dub it "pubgaze". Key Out draws from a similar well of influences but with a little more gentleness - some lovely background vocals and textures adding a wooziness to a rock solid core guitar band sound. Their record's out on Half A Cow - it was mixed by Wayne Connolly (as was SLS' last release).

"Grindhead Records presents another night of Sludge, Grind and black metal all in one package"

Billed as a festival comprised of the many artists and projects that intersect with a local studio producer Bobby Gray (as a clarification, that's "producer" as in: "turns your demos into proper recordings", not "plays a gig with Ableton Live and a make-believe tabletop modular synthesiser"). So anyway, it appears that Bobby's put on a lineup of artists he's worked with and he'll be DJing a bit around it. Great way to make a community around an environment visible! Hope it's a lovely night!

Antenna is not to be confused with the Scientists/Hoodoos/Southend supergroup formed in the late 90s. It is, in fact, a new punk group fronted by Shogun (yes, another one!), he of Royal Headache/Shogun & The Sheets/Finnoguns Wake/many more fame.

Gigs are back at the Agincourt!

I'm going to gently and without hyperbole say that HTRK are my favourite Australian band of all time, and that you should absolutely see them at least once. They've plotted a fascinating trajectory from their early days as a grinding noisy post-punk trio, and subsequently evolving through various colours and hues of textural electronic music: from barely-perceptible darks to a gradually increasing brightness, calm, and reflectiveness - even looseness - that's appeared over the years, all the while retaining an ever-present sensuality that's been a signature core component of their music. I got chucked in the deep end with this band about a decade ago when I was asked by their label to design some simple lighting for a gig and it changed my life. HTRK are a national treasure - no knowing how this temporary SydFest pop-up venue will treat their vibe, but get amongst one of their two nights.

This is the kick-off for a five-night series of early evening / sunset gigs over two weeks in the Seymour Centre courtyard - yes, that quite-well-treed courtyard area that you look at every time you turn from City Rd into Cleveland St. More in the guide below.

You hear "Just" or "Glue" at a party and you roll your eyes because they're so ubiquitous but then you start dancing because they're just SO GOOD. Go take a look at their Printworks 2018 live show on YouTube (on Resident Advisor's channel) if you want to get a feel for what they're about.

Melbourne-based "soul-pop-funk"

HUGE 8 WEEK SERIES. Good Space is a temporary venue / art space created across three floors of an abandoned department store opposite Broadway Shopping Centre. Vitalise is an event series spearheaded by LukeSnarl, a long-serving legend of Sydney's dance/electronic spectrum. He explains: "the basic idea is focus on live electronic performances: 3-4 live acts each week, accompanied by DJs and VJs ... it's less a dancefloor oriented event, and more a social vibe where people can see the acts, look at their gear, ask 'em about it etc, [as well as] a space for people to try new ideas or projects. Each week will have either some kind of show 'n' tell or workshop-type aspect. Or occasionally a buy/sell/swap meet for music gear." Even better? "Kids are welcome if accompanied by a guardian, and every week there will be a bit that I am calling the 'audience hands on the gear'... where we let the punter loose on some of the equipment, thru the PA... maybe a eurorack skiff with a few noisy modules, or a drum machine, whatever." And yes - there's food ("tasty pizzas") and beverages available at the venue too. This is an incredibly exciting community-driven event and we can't wait to see what happens!

Humming Grotto is a stunning monthly series of sound art, ambient, noise and other outsider sounds - an often peaceful, sometimes intense, always mesmerising series of lineups that show off a wonderful dimension of Sydney. It's held downstairs at the PBC - so don't be alarmed if you turn up to the main room and there are toddlers running around and the ding of the bistro pass bell. Head downstairs and I guarantee that once the door closes behind you you'll be transported into another world.

Hello Freshwater! Small bar featuring a couple of bands on a Sunday afternoon for their 10th birthday

Two double basses, percussion and drums. Looks like a collective of seasoned improvisers (I spy Tomas Ford from Anoesis in the lineup) playing one of their first shows under this project name. Guessing this will be the usual “two sets from 10pm” deal

Lex from Crankees and Seethin' is turning 40 and throwing a big do next month to celebrate - including Canine's first show in almost four years!

New project by Alex Crowfoot from long running Sydney electronic duo ollo. Self-described comparisons: Grizzly Bear, Stereolab, David Sylvian, late period Talk Talk. Inga Lileström is a name we haven't heard in these parts in a long while, a singer-songwriter that came up amidst a very dynamic time in Sydney's music community in the mid- to late-2000s, with a number of releases on Groovescooter Records.

An annual party in its 7th year, "throwing Afrobeats, Dancehall and Reggae like only Caribbean DJs can"

Yes, that's 5:30am IN THE MORNING. See in the sunrise in Vaucluse overlooking Sydney Harbour soundtracked by ambient synth angel KAS. Honestly... sounds pretty lush.

I've heard a number of self-described practitioners of EBM produce something that is very much just a synthed-up take on post-punk: very lyrical, melodic, drawing more from the lineage of Joy Division, Bauhaus and The Cure with a dash of the likes of Throbbing Gristle and Einsterzende Neubeuten. This line-up seems a bit further down the noise rabbit hole: have a listen to Military Positions, with a cascade of no-input effected blasts underneath a distorted vocal snarling over the top. Tone Generator & The Body Of Organs offer a blast of deconstructed bludgeons to the head with noise tone generators fashioned into various cuts and sweeps, with low sine waves throbbing underneath. In the blackened room of Crowbar, this might well just melt your brain in the best way possible. Want some catharsis? This might be your ticket.

Front bar show, totally free!

This has a shot at being gig of the year, five days into 2023. Magdalena Bay are incredible! Familiarise yourself with their stuff on YouTube if you haven’t had the pleasure. Massive, interesting, intelligent, fun, sexy pop with an absolutely blender full of musical influences. Hyperpop, sure, but so much more besides.

This is verrrrrrry borderline as our policy is no cover bands or musicians in this guide... but we'll make an exception. This is the covers project of Bec Sandridge from our of Melbourne. Those that know know that Bec has attitude and it looks like the covers span a solid range so... see how you go?

A comeback show (second time they've played in the last 12 months) of a Sydney band from 1977. I don't know anything more than that... but if Aussie rock history is your thing, this might be a good look-in while you nurse your hangover into submission.

Another night of thrash and riffs in the Duke, a venue bent on ever-deepening its affinity with the filthy and the 🤘 brootal 🤘. Get sweaty.

I have no idea what this vibe's going to be like, probably awful ($699 Diamond VIP tickets!!!!) but at least Confidence Man rule and you'll get a pretty view of the fireworks!

Thanks to DS for the tip on this one! Interesting... two day event that runs from afternoon NYE to 2am, then from midday to midnight the following day. Lots of DJs - is that Groovescooter from back in the early 00s? But of interest is that it's held "in an abandoned 3 floor 1300 capacity department store". Now I don't know what that means in practice, and we all know that Sydney tends to be a bit tacky when it comes to above-ground "activations" in disused spaces, but this proudly claims to be a "Do It Ourselves collaboration" and that "all proceeds from ticket sales will be used to cover costs and pay the musicians, artists, organises, crew, lighting and sound people and others involved fairly for the incredible work they are all doing to make this dream a reality" which seems like its heart is in the right place. And $60 for two days is honestly a steal. Let us know if you go!

This'll be a wild one. A collision of the Inner West's deeply overlapping country and punk universes, and a bunch of other stuff between. Golledge and his crew famously and frequently end up in the buff more often than they don't, Harnett is a talented tunewriter with a cracking band (check out Robbie on the kit, who also plays for Joe Liddy & The Skeleton Horse amongst tons of other groups), Swine features Nick Ryan from Golledge's band in a four-piece unit that will blast your face off. Jet City Sports Club play sweet jangle pop with hooks for days. This is a solid lineup is what I'm saying. A real nice time. And yet it's sold out. But don't let that stop you from keeping an eye out for these acts next time they're playing!

Last minute catch for this one - haven't seen it promoted anywhere but it's there sitting on the Crankees' Facebook page! Another yob-punk band (is that what we call it?) drawing from the rich Australian piss-and-vinegar of the Cosmic Psychos or, more recently, The Chats. I mean, they have a single called "Punch The Boss", what more can I say?

Blink and you’ll miss it 15 minute live set from Sydney queer icon Marcus Whale (Collarbones, BV, Scissor Lock). I caught his new material a couple of weeks ago at the Bearded Tit and honestly if you’re in the neighbourhood I would definitely stop by for this. Let us know what kind of vibe the Ace is conjuring up with their new bar space too!

This line-up's affiliated with Clan Analogue, a collective of electronic musicians and DJs that started in Sydney in 1992, putting on many gigs and parties over the years.

There's always money in a banana stand, but is there in a banana farm?

Please note: starts at 9 rather than usual later Townie set times! A wild pre-Xmas bash with some incredibly colourful personalities!

Billed as a "Crocs Christmas!"

Recycletastic 189 has been a really lovely community space to watch thriving in the last year with a steady stream of music performances and other activities taking place in their shopfront. They're closing for a hiatus from 25/12/22, and are expecting to reappear somewhere in Enmore/Newtown in August next year or thereabouts. Lemonise started life in the 189 shopfront window and are returning for an awesome send off.

Billed as a Christmas party, and also as a ruckus. Ho ho ho.

Single launch

Excellent local line-up! Great stuff!

Carle Wehbe and Charlie Collins and their bands host an all-star party of "loved originals, classic covers and holiday classics". Don't be a yee-hawmbug.

🔊🔊🔊 NEW SPACE ALERT 🔊🔊🔊 Hello to SHADES, a new space operated by the owners of Golden Age Cinema & Bar who have been reliably putting on free gigs every week for god knows how long. Get amongst it with a free gig featuring incredible line-up of home grown electronic music and visuals. This is going to rule. Exciting to see something new. And so incredibly... Central! *rapturous applause, exits stage*

New trio comprised of tenor saxophonist Alex Jasprizza, double bassist Tomas McKeever Ford, and vibraphonist Milan Monk performing completely improvised music.

Eagle-eye gig spotter DS sends this in - solo gig from The Church frontman.

Melbourne alt-country band formed in 1988. $5 show too!

They're back!

Music video shoot for The Bottlers

This is a HOT SITUATION. Shady Nasty have surreptitiously become one of Sydney’s best live bands - a dizzying amalgam of every genre in a blender. Not afraid to fuse abrasive hardcore with trap with extraordinarily delicate jazz sensibilities while finding pop smarts in the DNA of all the connecting tissue. The supporting cast of friends includes Nerdie of 1300 DJing. This week of gigs before Christmas just keeps intensifying. As Discord regular DJY says: “absolutely get amongst it if you haven't seen them this year, they're crushing it” and I couldn’t agree more.

Two performances at 6:30pm and 8:15pm, entry by ballot allocation - enter the ballot via the website.

"Seven of the best local/interstate Ska & Punk acts." I think Birdman actually did get to do a gig for Tony Hawk or something? I haven't heard of Wishful Thinking since I saw them at Sonfest Christian Music Festival in 2004.

Peter O’Doherty, Peter Mitchell, Peter Doyle and Reg (Peter) Mombassa play some of their favourite songs!

Well the headline and the line-up says it all really doesn't it?

Epic lineup. No really, it's a great lineup. Absolutely demented acts, absolutely fantastic stuff. Get weird. Get along.

Emerging artists showcase by Breaking Sound Sydney.

"Going Under" is Mary's Underground's free live music event - first Thursday of every month. Joe Liddy and his Horse Friends are all time. Do go, it'll be a blast.

Click the link if you want to see a confronting album cover

Special show debuting new material: "All New Songs. All New Looks. All New World." - this will be a really exciting new chapter of the MW experience!

I recall these guys were doing Enmore Theatres at one point, so I'm going to guess this is a pre-cycle intimate couple of shows to road test some new material or something.

"Ethereal-indie-folk-lofi-zen-punk" certainly has my attention

Presenting "Prima Volta". Two performances at 6:30pm and 8:15pm, entry by ballot allocation - enter the ballot via the website.

A night of VHS Industrial and electronic post-punk (Cold/Heat ‘Walking Dead’ single release)

A party thrown by Miramar, who I don't know but I did see support act Self Tape play a set the other week and he played an absolutely sublime mix of dance music. I'm not going to go into sub-genres. You know how to use Bandcamp. Have a listen, reckon this will be a lovely night.